---
title: "I’m a new plant mom and I was wondering why my wavy fern smells…"
description: "I’m a new plant mom and I was wondering why my wavy fern smells acidic. What does that mean and how do I fix it because my plant is starting to wilt."
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg/64975e70465a79073f622ec8"
community: "Anything about plants"
author: "AJi"
published: "2023-06-24T21:21:52.966Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v2/cloudinary/global_data/communities/everythingHousePlants.jpg"
---

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# I’m a new plant mom and I was wondering why my wavy fern smells…

_Posted by AJi on 2023-06-24_

I’m a new plant mom and I was wondering why my wavy fern smells acidic. What does that mean and how do I fix it because my plant is starting to wilt.

## 1 comment

### Roundshouse Plants commented on 2023-06-25

Oh no! I'm so sorry! If your soil smells acidic it's not good anymore. Sometimes people call it "sour soil." You're going to need to change the soil. Fresh/good soil should never have a smell. The sour smell comes from the soil becoming too alkaline. That means most of the nutrients have washed out of the dirt and the plant needs fresh.

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